Game, Set, Match
by JupiterHope2662
Summary: Tony Stark is used to being recognized, he's idolized, he's a friggin' super hero for crying out loud, so when he meets a woman who has never heard of him before he is curious. When he finds out why she hasn't heard of IronMan, his blood boils and he doesn't know if he'll be willing to show his normal restraint against his newest enemy. Tony/OC
1. Helping Sasha

**This story is set between Iron Man 2 and Avengers…and Tony is not involved with Pepper, they are good friends, that's all…**

**Oh, and I own nothing but the story-line, Boo for me…**

Tony slid past a young woman in skintight black pants and matching top who was doing something that she considered to be dancing, but he wasn't quite sure. The loud pulsating beats were throbbing through his chest, and he wondered briefly if the tight black shirt he wore with the glowing arc reactor in his chest shining through was his brightest wardrobe move. The club was hot, the women hotter, and he was disappointed to realize that he wasn't having a better time. Maybe Pepper was right and he was finally growing up and was getting bored with the whole dating-a-different-random-woman-everyday-thing…Nah, it couldn't be that. He was just not recovered from the meeting he had just left up in the VIP room of the club. The owner wanted to do a special event and was practically begging for the playboy to make an appearance in his Iron Man suit. Tony was tired of being used and thought of as a toy…well, unless he was being used by a woman in bed.

He stopped between two women on the dance floor and started moving with them, enjoying how both girls automatically began moving together, ensuring his body was in permanent contact with at least one of theirs throughout the entire song. His trademark smirk was all he left the girls with when the song switched over and he moved on to find a new partner or two. He felt like he was finally getting back into the rhythm of his regular life when he noticed a girl sitting beside a large brute of a man in a circular booth, the other occupant sat across from the pair in a dress shirt and jeans with an evil grin as he eyed the uncomfortable woman.

Tony wandered closer to the group's table, it took him three songs to finally end up dancing with a woman near enough to the table for him to hear an occasional word and get a better reading from the body language of the occupants. The woman never spoke, her eyes stared straight across the room at the far wall until the man next to her tensed his arm, his hand was on her knee and he was squeezing it roughly, she finally looked at the other man across from her and swallowed visibly. Tony felt his body temperature rise as his stomach lurched in a way that was becoming familiar to him, he would always react in that way when someone was in danger, and he was never wrong about the situation when his gut felt as heavy as it did at that moment.

The woman looked back out at the crowd of dancers, her eyes quietly searching for an escape, but there was no real hope behind the brown gaze, she looked completely resigned to whatever fate the man beside her had planned for her. When the man in the dress shirt stood and extended his hand toward the woman, she shrank back reflexively. The brute next to her squeezed her knee again and she reached for the other man's outstretched hand unsteadily. He pulled her fully up to his body and sneered as he whispered in her ear. The look on the woman's face caused Tony's blood to boil with rage, she looked terrified.

She was dragged down onto the dance floor and made to move with the other man's body. The woman took a breath and smiled tightly at the man as he spoke to her in low tones. She turned to put her back against his chest and moved her hips to the music robotically. Every time the man leaned forward and spoke in her ear the woman would cringe and dance in different ways. At one point, when Tony thought he would either have to throw up or punch the smarmy bastard in the face, he finally formulated a plan.

Tony smiled invitingly at the woman he was currently dancing with and leaned down to speak into her ear. "Hey, there's Jason Brody…the computer tech that just left Stark Industries and started up his own huge IT Corporation; he just made millions over night!" He knew that the gold-digger would willingly trade him for the other man, knowing that Tony was only a one-night stand and that 'Jason Brody' may be able to be trapped into a relationship.

Tony inched closer to the other couple, watching the woman's full hips roll. She wasn't built like his usual type, but Stark found himself oddly attracted to and intrigued by the woman's full body. While she wasn't over weight, she was possibly an actual size four-to-six, and her hip bones were just slightly defined, a shadow rounding out where her toned abs slowly worked as she danced, the shirt she wore rode up a bit every time she raised her arms, the metal fasteners that held the red fabric together glinted in the strobe lights. Tony mentally shook himself, focusing on getting the woman out of whatever situation she was in. He sidled up beside and slightly behind the man in the dress shirt and blonde hair, he watched as his partner predictably moved to be dancing half in front of each man, pushing the other woman over so that her body was only against half of the man's chest and one leg. Tony waited a few moments and turned to circle behind the blonde man and ended up in front of the brown-haired woman. He checked on the man still sitting at the table as he flirted with the waitress, who looked completely nonplussed by the attention. Tony smirked to himself. He turned his attention to the small brunette in front of him, slightly surprised to find that even in her heels she only came up to his nose, if that. He smiled at her genuinely, and was happy to see it returned. The smile faded as she glanced back to her partner, but his attention was on the girl Tony had tricked into dancing with him.

Tony danced closer to the girl, he put his hand on her left hip to scoot her fully in front of him and put his lips to her ear. "Okay, I am going to turn us both around so they won't see…I hope to god you can run in those shoes because we'll have a thirty second max of a head start before they start to look for you…we'll head out the side door."

The girl's chocolate eyes widened in shock as she asked in a breathy whisper, "What do you mean?"

"It looks as if you aren't here of your own free will, and if that's the case, let's get you the hell out of dodge."

The girl nodded unsteadily, warily glancing back to the man that had brought her into the club as he leaned in to touch his waitress' shoulder. She prayed that this new guy didn't work for him, just trying to see if she'd run away if given the chance. But she had no other choice. She nodded more firmly, her eyes steeling themselves with resolve. Tony smirked and moved his hips closer to hers, at her instantaneous recoil he held her firmly to him and leaned down.

"I've gotta make this look natural; I'm no threat. Just move with me, on three." The girl blinked in time with Tony, on the third blink she felt him step back on his left foot and she countered by stepping forward with her right, suddenly Tony spun and his back now blocked the other men's view of the pair, he whispered, "Now!"

The girl turned without hesitation and took off through the dense crowd. Tony kept his body close to hers, hoping he would be able to conceal her until they reached the exit. "Go-whoa-kay…" The words melded together as he spoke, his eyebrows drawing together in confusion as he watched the girl rip the sleeves of her shirt off and heard her quickly working at the four metal fasteners that held the shirt on her. He was amazed at the speed at which she had yanked herself free of the shirt and put it on inside-out, making the shirt black. She was yanking the hem of her skirt, pulling the scrunched sides down flat, as they reached the door that was being watched by a rather large black man. When the man saw Tony he instantly pushed the door open and allowed the couple to slip out quickly. Tony found himself amazed again with the woman in front of him as she pulled her hair up and used a piece of black string she had procured from somewhere unknown to tie her hair up on the top of her head in a messy ponytail.

"Wow." He stated blandly, and then turned to speak on his phone hurriedly. "Happy? ETA…East alley." He slid the phone closed and turned back to the woman. "So, we'll have a ride in about eight minutes, we need to find a place to duck—" His words were cut off by angry voices behind the club.

"The boss said she's in a red shirt and black hiked-up skirt…stilettos, too. _FIND her_!" The voice was commanding.

Tony stared at the woman's face as it filled with fear. He made a quick decision and shoved the woman's back to the wall of the club; he pressed his lips to hers to silence her shriek. He moved his lips to her ear as if he was kissing her there. "Just go with it, you're dressed differently, just kick the shoes behind that trashcan." He moved his hand up her thigh a bit and kept the other tangled in her hair behind her ear as he went back to kissing her mouth. She did as he suggested and kicked her heels behind the trashcan that was to her left. She was being held up off the ground by Tony now that the four-inch heals were gone, and in an attempt not to fall she wrapped the leg he was not holding around his waist. The angry men rounded the corner into the alley and whistled as they passed the couple making-out. Tony felt the woman tense and smiled into the kiss, he enjoyed how shy she seemed to be, and how muscular her leg that held them pinned together was.

He knew the moment the men had headed around the front of the club, but continued to kiss the woman he had pinned to the bricks anyway. She wasn't complaining and he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. When she did start to pull away and dropped her leg they were both breathless. She stared at Tony wide-eyed and he knew she had no idea what to say.

"You okay?" He asked with a wicked grin.

The woman nodded, and then looked at the blue that was shining through his black shirt. "That is definitely the strangest club-wear ever."

Tony stared at the woman in shock. "You…do you…you have _no_ idea…do you not recognize me?" He sputtered, actually at a loss for words.

"Should I?" She asked, plainly confused. Tony's look of utter amazement at her response told her the answer. "I'm sorry, but no. I don't know who you are."

"Wow." Tony repeated in the same tone as before, just as Happy turned the limousine into the alley.

"There's no way to open the doors." Happy stated dryly to his boss.

"Open the Sunroof, Hap." Tony said as he lifted the woman onto the hood of his limo. He smiled at her shocked expression and took her hand, leading her quickly up onto the roof of the long car and helping her slide through the opening in the top of the car. He followed her through the gap and the car took off into the more open back alley. "So, I didn't catch your name." Tony lounged back in his seat comfortably.

"Sasha." The brunette replied, "And you are…"

"Tony." He replied, enjoying the anonymity for the moment.

Sasha nodded quietly, staring at her spacious surroundings thoughtfully. "Thank you, Tony."

"You're welcome, Sasha." There was silence for several minutes and Tony took the time to study Sasha more carefully. He noted that her skin was slightly tanned, though it seemed faded, so he knew she had not been in Malibu for very long. He also took the time to appreciate the legs that had been wrapped around his waist just a short time before; they were toned and he knew that she must have been a runner or something to have the strength and shape she did.

Sasha shifted uncomfortably, having noticed Tony's ogling. She had really enjoyed kissing him and had been much more aggressive with him than was usual for her. She did not know what to think of that, seeing as how she did not know who he really was.

"Are you going to turn off the little light-thing in your shirt?" She finally asked.

"Uh…no…" Tony drew the word out, not knowing how to explain that if he did he would die. "It's…uh…so how did you get mixed up with Mr. Brute back there?" He asked, hoping to divert her attention. It worked a little too well as he watched Sasha shrink back into the seat diagonally across from him.

"I…I don't really…um."

"So where are you from? I love the accent." Tony smirked; Sasha had a slight southern drawl that he considered to be rather endearing.

Sasha blushed and looked at the floor of the car, "Texas. A smaller town outside of Dallas."

"Ah, a little country girl, then?"

Sasha rolled her eyes at the man, "Not quite…I was not raised on a farm or anything."

"Aw, too bad." Tony smiled, happy when Sasha returned the expression. "I hate to ask…" Tony really did feel badly for having to return to the subject, "But what's the story, here?"

Sasha sighed and considered lying, but then found the truth tumbling out. "I was out with a…friend…a guy I had met at a coffee shop, we…well I _thought_ we hit it off, and he invited me out to a club. We were dancing when he turned me toward another guy and introduced me…it was 'Mr. Brute' as you put it," A weak smile crossed her lips fleetingly. "Suddenly it was like a bad dream, I ended up in a bunch of different cities, lots of clubs like the one back there…it's been…it hasn't been a nice time."

"What's Brute's name?" Tony asked, offhandedly—or so he hoped that was how it sounded. Inside he was boiling with rage again, but on the outside he simply flicked some lint off of his dark-wash jeans.

"Uh…Harrison…Harrison Lease." Sasha replied uneasily.

"Has he…did he ever…never mind." Tony realized they were pulling up to the mansion and he straightened his jacket. Happy opened the door beside Tony whom gestured Sasha out first. She slipped from her seat and out of the door across from her and stared at the beautiful house.

"Wow." She breathed. "This place…is gorgeous!"

"Thank you." Tony nodded as he slipped his arm around her waist and led her up the few steps to the door.

Sasha was amazed by the décor, it was extremely modern, and the open floor plan was stunning, the view out of the long bay windows across the living room elegant. She began to wonder about her…new friend, as she decided to deem him. He was wealthier than she would have imagined, but with his air of confidence, and his cocky grin she could see him being rich. Suddenly she felt extremely out of her depths.

"I…I don't know what to say…do…uh—"

"Come on, I'll show you to a guest room. You can rest there for the night, and we'll see about getting you back to Texas in the morning." Tony didn't want to dwell on the reasons why he didn't want to think about sending Sasha back to Texas. He led the awed woman to a room next to his own and told her that if she needed him he would be there. He also informed her of the extra toothbrushes and things that he had stocked in the bathroom across the hall.

Sasha felt like she had been on a roller coaster for the past hour. She had brushed her teeth and washed her face and was lying down on the extremely comfortable queen-sized bed thinking over the events of the night. She kept returning to thoughts of Tony, only a wall's-width away from her; she remembered how handsome she had thought he was when he first appeared in front of her at the club, she had momentarily forgotten her reasons for being there and been able to smile a real smile. She thought about his rough voice when he had told her he was going to help her escape, and about the kiss outside of the club. She realized that they had probably been kissing long after the men looking for her had turned to search the streets in front of the club. It was a little frightening and a lot exciting to her that she had been so lost in Tony's arms that she had forgotten about the men, it said a lot about his technique that he'd been able to rob her of her common sense, too.

She felt her stomach tighten as she lay there thinking of the man in the next room, and it surprised her when she named the feeling: desire. She was lusting after a guy she had just met and didn't even know the last name of, she felt like she'd been thrown back into high school. She groaned and turned onto her side to sleep.

Tony was up, just listening to the silence of the house, he was thinking about Sasha, about their heated kiss, and how much he just wanted to go into her room and find out if she wanted to continue where they had left off. He sighed, knowing it wouldn't be right to do that to her, not knowing what all she had been through with that Harrison guy. He spoke in a whisper, "JARVIS…"

"_Yes, sir_." The robotic voice replied in an equally soft volume.

"I want everything you can find on Harrison Lease. He was at the club tonight where I had that meeting, the second booth from the end on the west wall. Sitting with a woman and another man. Run facial recognition against the security footage from the club."

"_Very well, sir_."

Tony settled onto his back and fell asleep. He was awoken by JARVIS some time later. "_Sir, it seems your guest may be in need of some help_."

"What the hell?" Tony muttered as he climbed from the bed and walked to Sasha's darkened room. He could hear her whimpering and saw her thrashing about on the bed. She screamed before it became a strangled sound, scaring the hell out of Tony and spurring him from his spot in the doorway to her side. "Sasha, shh." Tony slowly touched her shoulder, rolling her onto her back as she tensed. "Sasha. You're safe. It's Tony. Wake up." He whispered worriedly.

Sasha pulled herself from her dreams and was staring into Tony's dark eyes, illuminated by a bluish-white light, seeing his concern for her. "Tony…" She cleared her throat. "I must have been dreaming, I'm sorry if I woke you."

"Are you…going to be alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Sasha turned back over and Tony shrugged. He headed back to his room after a moment and climbed back in bed.

It was only an hour later when JARVIS again woke Tony, alerting him to Sasha's distress once again. He rushed back to her room to find her huddled in the middle of the bed in a fetal position. He turned her to him and spoke to her softly, "Sash…wake up, it's Tony."

"Tony?" Sasha sounded frightened, and Tony scooped her up into his arms and walked from the room.

"You were having a bad dream…I think…uh—" He placed her in his bed, where he climbed in behind her. "I…I want you to feel safe…uh…don't worry about anything…I'm here." His soft tone was comforting, but had Sasha been able to see his face, she would have named it comical. Tony had no idea why he was feeling so protective over a woman he had never met before the previous night. He was also wondering how in the hell he was supposed to keep from ravishing her when she looked so sexy in his bed, wearing one of his old MIT t-shirts that he'd given her to sleep in.

He tried to clear his head of all thoughts of Sasha, but she suddenly rolled over in his arms and lay her head on his bare chest. '_Damn it all to hell_.' Stark thought as he sighed and settled in for a long, sleepless, night staring at the ceiling.


	2. Harris Leason

**Okay, since I was asked so nicely, here's the next chapter! Hope y'all like it! The action really starts in the next chapter, this one is just building the story and explaining Sasha's story.**

**Oh, and I don't own Iron Man, Boo for me.**

Surprisingly, Tony had been able to fall asleep, and he woke to feel Sasha burry her head into his chest, trying to avoid the light coming in the wall of windows in his room. He laughed quietly, but his chest moving caused her to open her eyes in shock.

"I…uh…oh, yeah." She stuttered, remembering some of the events from the night before, specifically how Tony had carried her into his room and put her in his bed to help her feel more safe. She grinned at the irony in the thought, since she considered Tony to be very dangerous to her in his own way, at least when it came to her mental state and hormones. She glanced downward where she could feel her leg draped across both of his and noticed the light again.

Tony knew the moment Sasha realized that his arc reactor was not just a decoration; he felt her body tense and waited for the questions, her rejection. She didn't say anything for so long that Tony was getting a little worried, and then she turned back to face him and raised one eyebrow, her eyes showing concern.

Tony lifted his head to look her in the eyes, shrugged, and gave a tight-lipped smile. He rarely showed anyone his bare chest anymore, even wearing a cover over the reactor beneath his shirts during photo shoots sometimes to avoid the inevitable questions and interest. "It's...called an Arc Reactor…it's what is keeping me alive…keeping shrapnel from entering my heart and poisoning my body."

Sasha nodded slowly, giving him a sad half smile, her eyes showing brief sympathy before she lay her head back down on his chest and kissed the skin above the device. "Then I'm glad that you have it." Was all she said.

Tony was shocked, no one had ever reacted to his story that way, even that much-abbreviated version. He wondered briefly if it was because she didn't know he was also Iron Man that she didn't ask anything more, or if it was just her real reaction to his condition. He shook his head and lay back, one arm tucked beneath his head and the other slowly stroking Sasha's arm beneath the too-large-shirt's sleeve. She sighed contentedly, the quick breath cooling his chest.

"_Sir, the information you requested to be compiled is complete_." A clipped British accent suddenly spoke, jarring Sasha from her restful state.

"What was _that_?!" Sasha exclaimed as she sat up, one hand on Tony's abdomen and the other beside his body on the silky sheets.

His laugh caught her off guard and she turned back to face him. "JARVIS." He replied casually. "He runs my house…he's the A.I. I created when I was twenty." Tony's voice changed then, became more of a boss-like tone, "Send the data to my phone, JARVIS. Thank you."

"_Sir, there are matters involved that you may not wish to put off_." JARVIS warned.

"Fine, send it to my laptop." Tony sighed and reached for the portable computer on his nightstand. He glanced at Sasha, feeling guilty. "Uh, I had JARVIS look into Lease…" Sasha's eyes went wide, her gaze becoming fixed on the unopened computer. "I didn't…don't like the look in your eye when you think about him…or the tone your voice got when you talked about what happened…" Tony wondered why he bothered to explain himself; he had never felt that need before. "I just want to know one thing, first…how—how long were you…with him?"

Sasha shook her head and held up a hand as she struggled to keep the bile down as it rose in her throat. "Eighteen months…I don't want you to look at whatever your robot found." She sounded ashamed and Tony hated the sound.

"It doesn't change anything about you." He replied, "Or my opinion of you." He opened the computer slowly, making sure Sasha knew he was going to look at the information anyway. She got up from his bed and walked out of the room, her head hanging down. He felt a twinge of guilt as he pulled up the files.

He swore. Not just one curse, not two or three, but a long stream of every oath he had ever heard in every language he could think of. All he had to read was the man's real name, and he was shuddering and ready to be sick at the thought of Sasha having been subjected to the man for eighteen long months. Harris Leason had a hand in every depraved, immoral, vile business there was; Arms Dealing- he was probably number three in the world, Drug Dealing-he was probably a Lord in that world, Terrorism-he had that niche locked down…and Human Trafficking-he was known for doing all of his own dirty work in that field. Tony let his computer crash to the floor as he leapt from his bed and went in search of Sasha.

He found her curled up on the bed in the room he had shown her to the night before, she wasn't moving, wasn't making a sound, but he saw the tears falling from beneath her closed lids. He dragged her into his arms and sat against the headboard cradling Sasha to his chest murmuring apologies and promises of what he would do to Leason if he ever saw the man again. Slowly Sasha's body relaxed against him, laughing a bit when Tony offered to let her be the one to use the rusty blade on Harris' masculine limb. He smiled when he felt the chuckle against his chest.

"I'm serious, I'll deny myself that fun if you want to do the deed yourself."

Sasha looked Tony in the eye and smiled at him. "Thanks, but I don't think I'd want to be anywhere near that..." She noticed Tony was staring at her legs, and felt the blush cover her entire body when she realized that his shirt had ridden up her thighs and his hand was not as close to her knee as he had thought it was, his thumb was brushing the fabric of her underwear. As she tried to pull the shirt down, Tony leaned down to kiss her. Sasha reacted instinctually and her hand went to Tony's head and her fingers threaded through his hair. She felt Tony shift and squealed when he quickly got to his knees with her still in his hands and lay her back on the bed, his body covering her own. His tongue battled with hers as his hand pulled her shirt-tail down to cover her underwear and then settled just underneath her breast on her ribcage. The shock she felt when she realized that he was trying to treat her with respect made her moan into his mouth. Tony's hand was fisted in her hair keeping her mouth locked with his, just as her hand was holding him. At her moan he swung his leg over to straddle her and she let her free hand travel down his back to his taut butt.

Tony groaned as Sasha's touch caused his hips to buck and press into her body. She gasped at the contact, fear and excitement ran through her body. Her hand traveled to hold Tony's hip as his hand on her ribs began to move downward, and then back up. When his thumb brushed the underside of her clothed breast, Sasha felt her body freeze, and her hand on his hip opened, her fingers stopped running through his hair and Tony felt like a class-A jackass. He pulled back slowly, not quite ready to leave her lips alone.

"I'm sorry," He murmured against her mouth. His hand straightened her shirt as he tried to roll off of her body. "I got a little carried away." He ran his hand through her hair, pushing the strands back from her heart-shaped face. He leaned down to kiss her full lips quickly, "I'll try to be good now." He joked half-heartedly.

Sasha shook her head. "No, you didn't do anything wrong! I…I wasn't expecting…It's just that…it was a shock. That's all." Her eyes conveyed the truth of her statement, making Tony feel slightly less like a heal as she smiled at him. "I haven't…wanted a man this way in a while."

"Yeah, I just…I didn't mean to come in here and maul you…well, I _wanted_ to but I wasn't _going_ to…Dammit, woman." He growled playfully and leaned down to kiss her again. A few minutes later, he pulled Sasha up with him and suggested she grab a shower while he went to see about their breakfast.

When Sasha stepped from the steamy, and extremely _large_, shower, she found a stack of clothes with a note attached.

_I had JARVIS check your clothing size and sent Happy_

_out to get you some new ones_

_I promise that I didn't look at the tags, though, so your_

_secret is safe. Hope you like them._

_Tony_

Sasha grinned at the note, rolling her eyes thinking, '_Yeah, I'll bet you didn't look_.' She shook her head as she pulled on the new pair of jeans, rolling her eyes at the new bra that sat beneath them. She was surprised to find that the jeans felt as if they had already been washed-she hadn't thought there was a man alive that washed clothes before wearing them. The t-shirt she picked up made her cock an eyebrow, it was white with a huge picture of some red and yellow robot on it. After checking her appearance in the mirror, she wandered out of the bathroom and down the stairs slowly.

"Now where did Tony say the kitchen was?" She wondered aloud.

"The kitchen is to the right of the living room, Miss." JARVIS informed.

Sasha jumped, her feet literally leaving the floor by more than an inch. "Creepy robotic house." Sasha muttered as she stepped around the staircase banister and ran smack into Tony's chest.

"Now that's just mean." Tony quipped, "JARVIS is no robot. He's a friend."

Sasha blushed and giggled.

"Do that again." Tony said, a surprised smile registering on his face.

"Do what again?"

"Giggle."

"I can't giggle on command." Sasha smiled, suppressing such a giggle at the look of wonder on the man's face.

"Try." He suggested, and that did it, Sasha couldn't hold back her giggle, and Tony's smile made her glad she couldn't.

"You should do that more often."

"I'll be sure to remember that." Sasha rolled her eyes and licked her lips nervously. She was still unsure of what to do with herself in this very wealthy man's A.I.-controlled house.

"Are you hungry?" Tony asked, his eyes glued to Sasha's lips. At her nod he put his arm around her waist and led her into the kitchen where he had breakfast set out on the island. "I'm glad that the clothes fit…"

"Yeah, your…uh, what exactly _is_ Happy? And is that really his name?"

Tony laughed, and Sasha felt mesmerized by the change it made to his already-handsome face, he was positively gorgeous when he smiled like that. "Yes, that is his name…and he's my driver-assistant-confidant-friend-do-I-need-to-go-on…" He smirked at Sasha's eye roll and grinned at the shirt she wore.

"I'm half afraid to ask…" Sasha looked down at the fitted tee then looked back to Tony, "But what's with the robot on the shirt? I get that you apparently build them in your spare time, but this shirt borders on the obsessive." She took another bite of her omelet with a smirk.

Tony choked on his sip of juice. He didn't know what to think. Nearly everyone on the planet knew about Iron Man, most even knew he was the one behind the mask, but he'd never met anyone who hadn't even _heard_ of Iron Man. "Have you been under a _rock_?" He asked, and even JARVIS laughed.

"I resent being laughed at by a house." Sasha stated in a flat tone, keeping her face as straight as she could for as long as she could. Her smile slipped through, though and Tony laughed at her, calling her on the remark. "Well…I haven't really been anywhere but night clubs in over a year." She regretted the comment the moment it came out, the humor left Tony's face and his body tensed, he put his fork down, half of his breakfast uneaten. She sighed, putting her fork down as well. "I didn't mean to bring the mood down."

Tony nodded and forced a small grin. "C'mon, there're a few more introductions to be made around here."

"What's your T.V.'s name?" She joked, then worried that it wasn't a joke.

"Ha, ha. No, not _everything_ is A.I…though the television is voice-controlled."

"Of course it is."

Tony took Sasha down to his lab, quickly typing his code into the blue holographic keypad and opening the door, enjoying the look on her face. He had never seen a woman get so stirred up by the sight of cars, but he knew the look on Sasha's face; she was practically in heaven as she slowly walked to the row of vehicles. She reached out as if in a daze and stopped her hand just before it reached the hood and looked pleadingly at Tony.

"Go ahead." He shrugged with a grin.

"A Saleen S7." She breathed, running her hand slowly up the orange hood. "An all-aluminum 750-hp, 7-liter, rear-mounted V8 engine…" She whispered to herself.

"No wonder I like you." Tony commented, not realizing he had spoken aloud until Sasha had glanced back at him with a blush coloring her cheeks.

"I love old cars…the Roadster you have," She nodded over to the old Ford, "My—my dad and I rebuilt his dad's '32 Flathead together when I was in Junior High." Tony caught the stumble, but let it pass, knowing by the pain in Sasha's eyes that her father had died.

"Yeah, that was my first project with my dad, too." He smirked a little at the memory.

"The Telsa your contribution to saving the world?" Sasha asked, cheekily, pointing further down the row to Tony's all-electric car.

"One of many." Tony smiled, thinking of his Iron Man suit. He'd had JARVIS lower the suits underground—his latest upgrade in security for his suits, they were not always on display anymore—so that Sasha wouldn't freak out when she saw his alter-ego.

Sasha went down the row of cars, examining each, occasionally commenting on a favorite feature or asking him for stats on the cars she knew less about. When she was looking at his newer Audi R8 Spyder convertible, one of the robotic arms she hadn't even glanced at once began to move.

"Dummy, don't!" Stark suddenly yelled across the room. Sasha turned in time to see the robot carrying a fire extinguisher in her direction. She jumped into the convertible and ducked down, barely avoiding the spray of CO2. "Okay, you are now, officially, going to be a wine rack!" Tony shouted at the robot, the arm turned downward, managing to look sad in the process-although Sasha was worried about her mental health after that observation.

"Don't yell at the poor thing!" She got out of the car and examined the white powder coating the hood.

"That '_poor thing_' as you called him just nearly pelted you with CO2! And I thought you considered robots 'creepy'!" Tony stalked over to check on Sasha and his car.

"It…it looks sad…and now I feel stupid, 'cause that thing is-what, an arm…" She shook her head and smiled at Tony's red face, she could tell he was trying not to laugh at her.

"Dummy is like that, hence the name."

"Seriously? Your house is 'JARVIS' and your toy down here is 'Dummy'?"

"Butterfingers is right there." Tony pointed across the garage.

Sasha shook her head with a small grin. "You are a strange man, Tony…So what do you do to be able to do all of this?" She gestured widely to encompass the cars, robots and house.

"It's old family money, actually." Tony shrugged, figuring he may as well tell her who he was. "My father founded Stark Industries in the forties…" Tony's eyes widened when Sasha did not react to the company name. "We were a weapons technology and development company, now I have moved us on to clean-energy and other research and development divisions."

"Wow!" Sasha was clearly impressed. "So you create things for the government only, or for everyone?"

"We have a few government contracts, but Stark Industries focuses on helping everyone…Have you never heard of it? How out-of-touch is Texas, exactly?" He pretended to be hurt when Sasha playfully swatted his chest and she laughed.

"I've heard of it, of course, but it's never been instrumental in my life, so I never knew much about it." Sasha shrugged, she had always assumed that the owner behind the company had no idea what was going on within it, and just hired people to do the thinking for him. Now she realized that he was probably more involved than she could guess. "So it's Tony Stark?"

"Yep." Tony showed off his trademark smirk proudly.

Sasha rolled her eyes. "Figures you'd be some head-honcho." She teased.

"How about you, Sasha?" Tony asked.

"Oh, it's Ramsey, Sasha Ramsey…No big story to my family, no legacies or anything. Just average Joes."

"So…I, uh, I promised that we would…see about-ahem-getting you home…to Texas." Tony looked across the garage to his picture of Iron Man he had hung up purposely to annoy Pepper.

"I…I can't go back there. Harris will likely be looking for me…I wouldn't want to endanger anyone."

"You probably have family to call, though; at least let them know you're safe." Tony replied, leading Sasha over to his desk which she sat on the corner of.

"Um…no, I don't. There's no family, and I only hung on to one friend…I don't want to cause her problems by contacting her, though—Harrison, Harris, he's got a lot of technology at his disposal; he could trace e-mails or calls. I won't lead him to Amy." Sasha looked around, not wanting to see the pity she assumed would be written on Tony's face. That was when she saw the Iron Man poster hanging on the wall. "Seriously?" She turned back to see Tony working on his computer. When he looked up she nodded to the piece of art adorning the wall.

"Yeah…_that _is modern art…I like it." Tony shrugged sheepishly and turned back to his computer. After he hit a few more keys he gestured to the screen, "Viola, e-mail in full encryption…have at it if you want to contact your friend."

Sasha's face drained of all color and she had to grip Tony's shoulder for support. "Really? I can send it safely?"

"Yep. Par for the course, Stark Technologies best programs include military-grade encryption. Just send her an e-mail telling her it's you, without using your name and tell her to open this e-mail account here. You can e-mail her or even Skype with her if you want to through that server and it will be completely secure. You can set up your own e-mail address on this page here." Tony helped Sasha to sit in the chair he vacated and offered to go get them each a soda while she wrote her friend.


	3. Secrets Revealed

**A little bit of a longer chapter here, I thought I'd put more action in this one, but it turned into…well, you'll see!**

**I only own the story line and Sasha, Boo for me.**

A week and a half later, Tony sat on his kitchen counter, ankles crossed as his legs swung casually, watching Sasha pull food out of his fridge and pantry. He briefly wondered when his food had been restocked—he was more of a take-out kind of guy, and yet Sasha had been cooking meals at least once a day for a week. He knew she hadn't gone out to get it, he was on a three-week vacation and had spent every moment of it in the house with her. He plucked a slice of yellow bell pepper from the large mound of vegetables Sasha had chopped and she swatted the back of his hand with a spatula. Tony made a face and snatched a few strands of the cheese she had shredded with a wide grin. Sasha shoved Tony off the end of the counter.

"Hey!" Tony caught himself before he landed flat on his butt and glared playfully at Sasha.

"Hey, yourself! No sneaking food. I need all of this for dinner."

"When's it going to be ready? I'm hungry."

"And you sound like a child."

Tony pulled another face, making Sasha laugh. He loved that sound, and the way her eyes would light up and her face would lose the serious edge it held when she really laughed. Over the last few days he had learned a lot about Sasha, and his gut would turn to ice every night when they climbed into his bed together, she was still having nightmares and it was making Tony really mad. He was trying to find a way to tell her he was Iron Man without scaring her, or making her think he was trying to use her, but he also enjoyed how she just wanted to be with him and it not have anything to do with his money or fame. It was a good thing that he hadn't had to done the suit lately, it was really quiet as far as crime went in the world. He hopped back up onto the counter, smirking at Sasha's narrowed gaze aimed his way.

He watched as Sasha measured out ingredients and started melting butter in a skillet; he liked how she was so anal about having to wash her hands and change her shirt before cooking, yet her face still had grease smeared across it from when they had been tinkering with his cars in the garage. They had laughed a lot during the course of the day, but he noticed how sudden loud noises or types of music would make Sasha freeze, it was as if she had PTSD. Tony still hadn't asked the extent of the abuse that Harris had put her through, and he knew it was partly because he didn't want her to relive it, and partly because he was afraid to know.

He knew Pepper and Happy would die if he had told them that he'd had the same woman in his bed for nearly two weeks in a row, and was planning on a more, and they still hadn't slept together. The fact that Sasha had been around for more than the first night would shock his two closest friends, and the press would have a field day with it. Tony tried to figure out why his stomach was so knotted at that last realization; he couldn't care less what the press said about him. And then it hit him, he wanted to protect Sasha—more than just from Leason, he wanted to protect her from the savages the press could be, he wanted to keep her safe and happy. He wondered what was going on in his head that had made him so different when it came to Sasha, and he realized he liked the change, and that he felt better sitting on his counter giving the brunette a hard time by stealing bits of food and a few kisses than he had parading around at his own Expo last year.

He pushed himself off the counter and stepped up behind Sasha, reaching around to hold her hand that was stirring things in the skillet, his other hand on her hip. He gave her a moment to adjust to his nearness, although he was happy to note that she did not freeze for as long as she had been, then he leaned forward to kiss her just below the ear.

"So, tell me what we're making here." Tony whispered, his five o'clock shadow scratching against Sasha's cheek enticingly.

Sasha leaned back into Tony's chest, feeling the heat from his reactor in his chest and feeling the abrasive hairs scratching her cheek as he nuzzled her neck. "Mm…I'm making Sour cream Chicken Enchiladas. You are making it hard to concentrate." She laughed quietly, feeling Tony's laughter rumble against her back. "Here, add the chopped tomatoes and bell peppers." She watched as Tony reached for the cutting board that held the veggies and wrapped both arm around her tightly so he could scrape them into the sauce mixture she was stirring.

"That it?" Tony asked, his tone conjuring up images of their earlier make-out session in the garage.

Sasha wondered at the fact that he had not tried to sleep with her and even avoided anything more than a few brief kisses when they were in his bed, yet once they were in any other room in the mansion he was mauling her left and right. It was kind of funny, but she also knew that she should tell him her other big secret before he found out for himself.

"We'll add the spinach just before we pour the sauce over the enchiladas." She gestured to the tortillas she had laid out and showed Tony how to warm the tortillas in the hot oil and then fill them with the chicken mixture she had thrown together earlier without tearing the soft corn tortillas. Tony pouted about having to stand next to Sasha to make the enchiladas, teasing her about her just wanting to get him off her back. She rolled her eyes and placed the filled tortillas in the long pan. "Okay, add the spinach and mix it in well." She instructed Tony, then had him help her to pour it over the enchiladas. She pushed the heavy pan into the oven and turned to lean against the warm range.

"So, now what?" Tony asked, his eyebrows rising suggestively.

"Now I am going to make the Spanish rice." Sasha grinned cheekily. She showed a slightly dejected Tony how to make the rice and then turned to toss a salad together. She enjoyed the light banter Tony kept up with and realized just how easy it was to be with him. She turned suddenly, looking Tony in the eyes, "Tony, I-I just want you to know…I-thank you for everything you've done…" Her eyes turned glassy for a moment as she took a deep breath. "It's amazing to me how easy it is to be with you here…and…I…" Sasha's eyes went wide then closed when Tony quickly leaned in and started kissing her.

He pulled away slowly, "Sash…no thanks are necessary…I like having you here. It's a new feeling for me, too, you know." He kissed her again, knowing that while he could turn a phrase with anyone else, he was completely unable to keep any of his normal distance with Sasha. Any other woman he could easily seduce, lie to, and keep a smile on his face; with Sasha, he hadn't had to lie about his feelings, he hadn't even thought about doing so, and that scared him. She was getting too close, and he realized he didn't want to stop her, so he just kept kissing her until she playfully swatted his arm and backed up as much as she could while still being locked in his arms against his body.

"Dinner's ready." Sasha's brown eyes were dark with desire. Tony had figured out that while she wanted him, she was afraid to act on her yearning. He gave her the distance she needed, laughing as he swatted her butt.

"Fine, but you owe me a make-out session later." He teased, enjoying the blush that immediately flushed her cheeks.

Sasha pulled the browned enchiladas out of the oven and began to plate the food. Tony reached a fork over quickly and stole a bite before Sasha could do more than scold him. His face made her laugh as he tasted the food.

"Okay, so what are you going to be eating?" Tony asked as he pretended to grab for the rest of the pan of enchiladas.

"Well, if you aren't going to share," Sasha said in a fake pout, "Then I guess I just won't have anything at all."

"Oh, I can share…I'm a real generous guy." His eyebrow cocked and trademark smirk drawing a smile from Sasha.

"If you're sure." She said playfully.

"Oh, I am sure." Tony led Sasha into the living room to eat. They sat on the floor together content to eat in silence, enjoying each other's company and the food they had made together. "So why didn't you go into culinary arts?" He suddenly asked. He had learned a lot about the twenty-six-year-old's likes and interests, finding them so vast and varied he had no idea what he would do if he were like her.

"Cooking is relaxing." Sasha drawled, "If it became work it wouldn't taste as good because it'd be a chore not something enjoyed. It's like my art, I can draw or sketch what I want so well because there's no looming deadline, nothing forcing my hand. It's easy because there's no pressure." She shrugged.

"And yet your writing didn't suffer one bit when it was your source of income." Sasha had been a novelist and a freelance journalist before Harrison had come into her life. Tony had gotten a few of her books on his computer and found he enjoyed the stories, even though he wasn't one to read much fiction.

"I got to set my own hours and limits on my writing. I didn't sign on to do any series' with the publishing company because that would set a schedule for the entirety of the project. I had one written out, I was working on the final book when I met…him…" Sasha had refused to use Harris' name over the past week, only referring to the man as 'him'. "I was going to submit all four books at once so that all I would have a deadline on was the editing, which is much simpler than having one for the entire work."

"Wow, really?" Tony was awed at the beautiful and smart woman that now lay draped across his lap, having finished her meal. He realized he did much the same thing with his inventions as she did with her writing, rarely introducing a new concept to his company before having at least one working proto-type.

"Yeah," Sasha yawned, hiding her open mouth behind the back of her hand. "I'm getting tired, and you said something about my…_owing_ you." She smiled invitingly, "It is _later_."

Tony grinned, then felt it slip away as Sasha pulled him up from the floor and headed back to their room. His head spun for a moment at his metal slip; it was his room, and yet he had been thinking of it as theirs for days. By the time he had shaken himself out of the distracting thoughts, Sasha was pulling him down on top of her on the bed.

Tony had tossed Sasha's pants and shirt aside, irritated that she still felt her body was not attractive enough to let him stare at her the way he wanted to, and Sasha kicked his discarded jeans off of the bed to land somewhere near his forgotten shirt. He realized that he would not be able to stop himself for another night, so he pressed Sasha back into the bed and hovered over her, looking into her eyes.

"I need to tell you something." He said, his chest heaving with each breath. "Before…before we go any further, you need to know something about me…who I am."

Sasha's body was craving Tony's, she felt as if she were on fire, and she knew that Tony was the only one who could put it out. "No. I know enough, Tony…" At his look she touched his face adoringly. "Are you married?" At the negative shake of his head she went on, "Do you have someone else?" Again, he replied in the negative, "Are you really a woman?" She couldn't resist teasing him.

Tony grunted and shoved his most masculine appendage into her core. "What do you think?" He asked, enjoying the brief contact, even through their underwear.

"Then there's nothing that can't wait, Tony. I want…I _need_ you. Now." Sasha's words drove the arguments out of Tony's mind as she shoved his boxers over his hips and gripped his hardness; he yanked Sasha's bra off, kissing her breasts as he slid her panties off of her body. Each little moan and breathy sigh threatened to send Tony over the edge, but he was determined to make this last for Sasha. There was just one thing he had to be sure of, first.

"I don't…this is you and me…no one else…Keep your eyes on mine, please…know it's me." Tony pleaded softly as he slowly entered Sasha.

She shook beneath him at the feeling of him pressing into her. She shook her head and stared into his eyes, "Tony, I know it's you…it's…there's…never been anyone else." She cried out as Tony thrust into her hard and quick, making him break through the barrier he hadn't known would be there. He stilled, unable to think past the fact that Sasha had been a virgin. When he saw the tear streaks trailing down from her eyes and into her hair he hated himself. And when she moved her hips against his he had to fight down his animalistic urges and held himself still. She looked away from him and started to shift uncomfortable beneath the billionaire's stiff form.

"You…were…you've never…but…" Tony had no idea what he should say, what he wanted to ask.

"No…I've never…" Sasha let her voice drift off in shame.

"I just…God, you must hate me." Tony shook his head as he tried to roll off of Sasha.

She reached up to hold him in place between her legs. "Dammit, Tone! I _wanted_ you to do it! I…I was…I know you're used to more…experienced women, but I…"

"Stop it…right there, Sash, shut up right now." Tony ordered, his voice angry. Sasha felt tears well up in her eyes, "I…I just…I just did the most selfish thing I think I have ever done, and that is one hell of a list to top!" Tony shut his eyes, unable to look at Sasha. "I wish you had said something."

"You never would have touched me." Sasha spat.

"I didn't deserve that-that…gift! I…I have been with a lot of women, and I have done a lot of stupid things, I'm selfish and self-centered…and I just ruined you more than Harris ever did."Tony yanked himself free from Sasha's grasp and tried to stand up.

"The hell you did!" Sasha screamed at him. "You didn't _ruin_ me! Tony…did you not hear me? I _want_ you! I _wanted_ you to be my first…and Harris had a much worse idea of how to…_ruin_ me." She admitted quietly.

Tony turned back to see Sasha staring at her hands. "What?" He whispered, so quiet he did not know if she had heard him.

"Harris…he had an…auction planned for this month…he took me to all those clubs and things to introduce me to the bidders…he…he was going to sell it…to the highest bidder." She sobbed.

Tony growled quietly before an angry scream ripped from his chest. He was going to kill Harris. He wasn't going to wait for the man to make his next move as an Arms Dealer or Drug Lord and take him out as Iron Man. He was going to go find him in an alley and tear him to pieces with his bare hands. But first, he knew he needed to comfort the small woman that had come to mean so much to him.

He sank back down onto the bed. "Sash…I'm sorry." He pushed her down onto the bed and climbed back between her legs. "I just wish I could be the man you deserve." He re-entered her and kept his eyes on Sasha's as he slowly moved inside of her. He leaned down and kissed her softly, smiling at the moans she couldn't hold back. "This…I should have made this time a lot more special." He kissed her again, "You should have had candles and roses and the right kind of teasing to lead up to this."

Sasha shook her head, "I told you…I only need you. Roses are over-rated anyway." Suddenly she began to pant, and Tony smirked proudly and rolled his hips a little faster. When he felt her muscles clenching rhythmically he nipped at the juncture of her neck and shoulder. Sasha shrieked out in ecstasy, clawing at Tony's back with her short nails; the sudden sensation on his back had Tony following right behind Sasha with his orgasm.

The next morning, Tony was teasing Sasha over breakfast about how she had admitted to being rather sore after their hijinks the night before. "Yeah, more than three times in a night is really pushing it for anyone…I guess."

"Ha. Ha. Ha." Sasha shoved Tony's chair with her foot playfully, blushing like mad.

Tony turned serious as they cleared the dishes off of the table and set them in the sink; he took Sasha's hands before she could turn on the water to wash them and pulled her into his body. He hugged her as if he were saying goodbye and Sasha's eyes filled with tears at the thought, even knowing it did not make sense for her to be so attached to him so quickly. She heard him sigh and felt his body tense as he stepped back slowly.

"I need to show you something." He led her to his basement garage/lab, ignoring the tension he felt radiating from her body. As the pair moved through the door into his lab, Tony spoke to JARVIS. "Bring up the suits, JARVIS, and have all of the information you can find about Iron Man on the internet ready on the computer."

Sasha eyed Tony warily, "What is an Iron Man?"

"Um…" Tony gestured to the poster on the far wall, and then to the opposite end of the garage where eight suits now stood incased in bullet-proof glass. "I am Iron Man." He hadn't felt so nervous speaking those words, well, ever. He had found it pretty easy to admit at his press conference a couple of years before, and even when he was in front of the military or government officials he was more than ready to stand up for his work as a self-claimed Super Hero.

Sasha didn't speak, she dropped Tony's hand and stared at the robotic suits. She wondered at just how out of touch she had been with the world to not know about the billionaire apparently developing some great robotics-technology.

"JARVIS." Sasha stated, continuing to find it odd talking to a house. "Um, I don't think I can move to the computers…can you pull them up over here?" The holographic screens opened around her, and she scanned the multiple articles on the Iron Man. The first few were before Tony had outed himself, then there was the one from the press conference where he had admitted to being the super-hero, the last few she scrolled through told of his various fights against Stane and Vankovich and several other smaller enemies. She swallowed convulsively, wondering just why Tony had hidden this from her. She thought maybe he had been laughing at her considering the fact that there were several artful depictions of the hot-rod red and gold suit around the house and the t-shirt she had worn that first morning after her shower. Then she realized that he had tried to tell her the night before, when she had told him she knew everything she needed to about him. If he had been trying to make fun of her, or even just keep her in the dark for a more sinister reasoning, he would not have tried to tell her at all.

"Why?" She questioned. Tony had no idea where to start.

"I…when I…I had been taken hostage in Afghanistan…they wanted me to make a Jericho missile; there had been another prisoner there with me to serve as a translator…that man, Yinsen, he had saved my life when he put a magnet in my chest and hooked it up to a car battery—that was all that had kept the shrapnel from entering my heart at the time…instead of the missile, we created my original arc reactor, and then a suit…I used the suit to escape. Yinsen died so that I could get out…he told me not to waste my life any more. To do something worthwhile. I found out that my father's right hand man, my own go-to guy in Stark Industries, Stane was selling our weapons to these terrorist. And he had arranged for my kidnapping—my death, actually—so when I got home, I created a more…functional suit…you read about what happened after that. I'm keeping my promise to Yinsen, I'm not wasting my life anymore." Tony didn't know if anything he had said made sense to Sasha, but he pleaded with his eyes for her understanding.

"I…I meant…why, why didn't you tell me before? You told me about your company, your friends, even some family history…why not this?"

"I didn't mean to hurt you. I…at first it was kind of fun, a game, since you had no idea who I was, the anonymity was nice…but after you knew who I was, I didn't know how to tell you about Iron Man…I didn't want you to think that I was just after the fame. In a way, I had hoped you would tell your friend in an e-mail that you were here with me and she could tell you…" Tony shrugged, "It was childish, I guess, but I just…I wanted you to like me for me, not for my alter-ego."

Sasha shook her head and slapped Tony's shoulder hard. "You should have said something! I…okay, I probably would have been a lot more weary of getting to know you, of getting attached in any way, considering that you aren't only a playboy, but a 'super-hero' as well." Sasha shook her head at her own use of the term. "I…I do appreciate that you wanted to tell me last night…before anything happened." She realized that the fact that he hadn't wanted to sleep with her without being fully honest with her helped to ease the sting of shock.

"So…we're…" Tony didn't know how to ask where they stood anymore. He was afraid he'd scared her off.

"We're good…It's just going to take some…getting used to." Sasha shrugged as she turned to stare at the large suits in wonder.

Tony let out a huge sigh and said the only other thing that he was afraid would make her leave. "I'm going after Harris. I…I'm going to go find him tonight."

Sasha's back was to Tony, but he saw the tension that held her naturally straight posture more stiffly. He watched as her shoulders raised and lowered with several deep breaths. "You'll kill him. I've seen what is in your eyes when he is brought up, too, you know."

"It's…a highly likely outcome." Tony stated, fighting to keep his tone flippant.

Sasha lowered her head, staring at the floor before turning around and staring up into Tony's brilliant brown eyes. "I don't want that monster's blood on your hands, Tony. Even if you use the…Iron Man suit…it's still your hands."

"You don't know everything that man has done…what he's really capable of." Tony sighed.

"What do you mean?" Sasha looked taken aback.

"I mean…he doesn't just have his hands in Human trafficking; he is also a Drug Lord and major Arms Dealer. He's murdered and…he's done some pretty awful things…we never could get a decent description of the guy, let alone a picture, until the security cameras at the club caught him." Tony sighed again, reaching out to lay his hands gently on Sasha's shoulders. "I am Iron Man, and that means that I have responsibilities that I don't have much of a choice over. I am happy doing it, and I do admit to enjoying the hell out of my work…but when it comes down to tracking scum around the world and turning them over to the proper authorities…That's my job description. I have a responsibility to take Harris Leason off of the streets, and now that I know he is here, and nearby, and have a freakin' picture," Tony's voice was slowly rising with each word, "I can't _not_ go after him." He lowered his voice and his gaze, "Please understand…I…I'm going because I need to protect the people on this planet, but more than that I'm going to protect you."

Sasha's heart felt heavy, she knew that Tony had probably done quite a few things as Iron Man that he could hardly stomach as himself, but he did them because it was more than a duty, it was his promise to Yinsen to do something with his life that drove him. He just made sure to put enough fun into it to lighten his own mood. She finally looked at Tony until she caught his gaze in her own, and nodded.

"But all you need to do is deliver him to the police. That is all I need. I am already moving on, thanks to you, and I think that having…Leason…" She choked on the name, "behind bars will make it final for me."

Tony nodded, "I'll keep that in mind…I'll try not to let my emotions get too…involved." He smirked at Sasha and kissed her quickly. "I'll be home before dinner. JARVIS can keep you connected to me while I'm in my suit, and you can probably get more done with your computer-programming-studies without me here." Tony smiled sheepishly. He had started to teach Sasha how to manipulate computer technologies the way he could, and at the rate she was picking it up, he was surprised she hadn't gone into a line of work with computers.

"Okay, I guess I can try my hand at manipulating algorithms, then see if you can spot my work when you get back." Sasha played along.

Tony stepped back with a wide grin and walked backwards onto a circular platform that the floor was moving to make for him. Suddenly, yellow and black robotic arms began to assemble his suit around him, he smiled at the look of wonder on Sasha's face as he was transformed. Once he was fully suited up with only the gold face plate open, he walked back to the small brunette and brushed his lips to hers.

"Bye honey, I'll be home soon."

"Have a good day at work." Sasha joked along with him, jumping slightly at the metallic click as the gold faceplate fell into place, turning the mask into a menacing sight. She laughed at her own reaction and watched as Tony was lifted off the ground by the thrusters underfoot and then flew out of the garage entrance. "JARVIS," Sasha said, turning back to the room and sauntering over to the computers, "What is one of Tony's favorite games on the computer?" A devious smile crossed her face as she waved her hand over the blank space in front of the computer screens to pull up the holographic keyboard.

"Mr. Stark prefers to play with his suit designs rather than games, Miss."

"Oh, really? Well, he did say I could practice my computer knowledge, so let's pull up the schematics of one of his older suit models." Sasha planned on having a lot of fun while Tony was gone, and she knew that Tony was going to be more irritated with himself for having granted her the access than with her for what she planned to do.

Tony, in the Iron Man suit flew out over the city, having programmed the suit to automatically scan for any signs of Leason while he enjoyed the freedom of flight. He briefly wondered if Sasha would ever want to go flying with him. While he was thinking of all the practical jokes he could pull if she ever did come out with him, his suit beeped to alert him to a threat. He scanned the area and, not seeing Leason, he turned around just in time to watch a huge missile flying right at him. He caught the bomb and JARVIS informed him that it was locked onto his suit's electronic signature.

Rolling his eyes and sighing, Tony suddenly stopped flying and held the bomb at arm's length, studying the shell of the missile, finding the small square that housed the on-board trajectory, Tony yanked it off and flew upwards, knowing that if he didn't solve the intricate system in time that he did not want to take the city with him. Cursing under his breath, he searched through the wiring and found the keypad cleverly concealed beneath.

"JARVIS, I need the code." The A.I. scanned the programming and a string of numbers came up in front of Tony's right eye. "Thanks, JARVIS."

"You are welcome, sir." The clipped accent sounded slightly off, but Tony ignored it as he punched in the code and the propulsion in the missile went out. He flew back toward the missile's signature origin to find a large black launcher and little else in the dessert. Not sure what to make of the situation, he opted to alert Rodey to his discovery, then took off again to search for Leason.

It was around six o'clock when Tony dropped back into his garage and let the robotic arms take his suit off as he walked across the floor to an amused Sasha.

"No that is something I know I won't be getting used to." She quipped.

"Really? I think you will, give it some time." Tony smirked and held his arms open to the woman who he now stood directly in front of, having just stepped out of the Iron Man boots.

Laughing, Sasha embraced her lover, and wondered at his statement. If he expected her to get used to seeing him as Iron Man, then she wondered just how long he planned on being with her. She knew his reputation after having spent a couple of hours looking him up on the internet, and she knew that he didn't do long-term relationships. Shaking herself mentally, Sasha refused to dwell on it.

"So, how was work?" She asked in a sing-song voice.

Tony laughed, "It was good. Got a missile launched at me, apparently by no body. They weren't anywhere near the launch base and there were no prints on anything." He shrugged, smiling to ease Sasha's worried expression. "It happens, sometimes. I'm good at the whole 'Super Hero' thing, so don't worry, I'm not going to let some little missile stop me."

Sasha cocked an eyebrow and let the subject go for the moment. "I told Amy that I'm staying here with you…her response was pretty…well, I think I worried JARVIS with how hard I was laughing."

"Really?" Tony looked amused. "Why?"

"You're a playboy…she even accused me of having run off with you for the entire eighteen months-jokingly of course."

After a leisurely dinner and plenty of play-time in bed, Tony and Sasha each fell into a deep sleep, wrapped in each other's arms.


	4. Meeting Potts and Rhodes

**This is where it'll get interesting! Pepper kind of comes off a little abrasive, but I think I captured her essence/reactions…I only own the plot and Sasha, Boo for me!**

"Tony!" Pepper's usual irritated tone when addressing her boss and friend rang out as she entered his bedroom. "I thought—" She cut herself off as she spotted Tony lying in his bed with a brunette woman who seemed to be rather confused and, if she read the girl's face right, betrayal as she ducked behind Tony who reflexively covered her with his body and kissed her hair lovingly. "Really, Tony? You said that this vacation would be completely work-and-woman-free!" Pepper said, her irritation rising along with her vocal pitch. "Not that I really believed that last part…but dammit, we have work to do now…Find your pants, I'll have Happy bring the car for her."

"Potts!" Tony scolded his assistant as he rose up onto his elbow, halting her retreating form instantly with his tone. "For one, my vacation isn't up yet; two, get the _hell out of my room_!" He turned back to Sasha, who had sat up slightly when she heard Pepper's name.

"If you have to work, that's fine. I'm sure I can find _something_ to do without you around…" Sasha teased, her heart rate finally slowing down after being caught in bed with the playboy; finding out it was his assistant and good friend, not a girlfriend, Sasha felt guilty for having jumped to the wrong conclusions in her mind. "JARVIS, I'll use the system from yesterday up here."

"Yes, Miss Sasha." The British voice replied calmly.

"You gave her access to JARVIS?!" Pepper was stunned.

"Uh-yeah, like a year ago, geesh, woman." Tony teased sarcastically, and then motioned with a twirling finger for Pepper to turn around so he could get up.

"Oh, God!" Pepper spun around quickly, her face turning beet-red, but did not leave the room.

Tony laughed under his breath at his PA and tossed one of his shirts to Sasha, who thanked him quietly, reaching for his laptop before she'd finished tugging the top on. He shook his head, a little jealous that she would be just as content spending her day fiddling with his computers as she would with him. Shaking the odd sensation off, Tony tugged on a pair of dark pants and a tight-fitting black tee.

Pepper tilted her head up and back a bit to speak to her boss without getting an eye-full. "You called Rhodey yesterday to go pick up some missile launcher, and there were several sightings of Iron Man disabling a missile as well…so now we need to go get ahead of this. The press is going nuts, and this time you are going to clean up your own mess."

"Isn't that what I pay you for?" Tony asked as he lounged back on his bed with his hands behind his head watching Sasha on his computer, his socks were laid across his lap, the task forgotten when Pepper mentioned the press.

"Tony, you need to be the one issuing statements at times like these." Pepper pleaded, risking a glance behind her and groaning at the sight of Tony trying to kiss the woman in his bed.

"Tony, it looks like there's been a huge back-lash," Sasha was pointing to the computer screen, "Maybe you should go answer a few questions. There's mentions of some new guy being the next Vanko that's out for your blood…"

"The press says what they want anyway. And I am still on vacation." Tony said, his voice pitched toward Pepper accusingly.

"Oh, stop the pouting…" Sasha laughed lightly. "You've over-used your puppy-dog eyes, she's probably immune to them by now."

Pepper was taken aback by the other woman's words. She had expected for her to be like every other that had been in Tony's bed—slightly dinghy or shocked that she wasn't being included for another night.

"Oh, Potts knows she can't resist my charms." Tony joked, adjusting the comforter around Sasha to ensure she stayed modestly covered.

Sasha mumbled her thanks as she pulled up another news report, this time of a young woman having gone missing from a local night-club. She paled and her hands began shaking along with her voice. "You…you should probably go…"She nodded emphatically at the screen. Tony's smile turned into a grimace as he read the report and scrolled back up to see a picture of a woman similar in looks to Sasha. "People need you out there, I need you to be out there, too."

Tony used a finger beneath her chin to tilt Sasha's face toward his. "I'll find her. Don't worry about it. Between War Hammer and I, Leason is as good as caught." He quickly kissed her lips and began putting his socks on as he spoke to a speechless Pepper. "Call the press conference, make it," He glanced at the bedside clock, "within the hour. I'll say a few words, whatever Rhodey thinks will fly best—I'll call him from the car. Then Iron Man has some work to do…hopefully War Hammer will be available for this one."

Pepper was astounded. Tony _never_ wanted to have to apologize to the press or make excuses for his actions as Iron Man, yet one little plea from a woman Pepper had never seen before and he was calling the press himself!

"I want you to stay at Stark Industries." Tony was saying to Sasha.

"I'm going to be just fine here. No one but Amy knows I'm here, and if those e-mail encryptions are as good as you claim them to be then there's no reason for me to believe otherwise." Sasha shook her head, "And you just do your thing with the press—don't go after Leason half-cocked. You're pissed, and you'll be rash. Come back home after the conference and calm down first. I see the look in your eyes; I don't want blood on your hands, so just have your friend meet you here and you can talk through a _logical_ plan with him." She shook her head in irritation at something on the computer, waving her hand she took the screen off the computer and made it a hologram beside her, then she typed more into the machine and moved yet another screen off to the opposite side. "JARVIS; I need access to the Stark Trojan Files."

"They will be up in thirty seconds, Miss Sasha."

"Thank you, JARVIS." Sasha smiled, her eyes automatically going to the walls when she spoke to the house. She didn't feel right speaking to the air, and she figured the wall was as close to a face as JARVIS had. She shoved Tony playfully as he laughed at her for the action. "I have manners…unlike some." She smiled. "I have full access to the JARVIS system, and if need be, I can lower myself down with the suits and no one will find me if they show up here. Don't be a worry-wart, I'll see you in a couple of hours."

"You gave her _full_ access to JARVIS?" Pepper's voice was outraged, not even she had that ability.

Tony shrugged, "I don't think I gave you _full_ access."

"JARVIS, play back the recording from yesterday evening."

Suddenly the room was filled with Tony and Sasha's recorded voices from the night before.

"_You should invite Amy out here. It'll be a nice reunion, and I'll be sure you both will be completely safe." Tony was saying._

"_Really? You want me to bring my best friend since childhood out here…there are _so_ many ways for that scenario to go wrong!" Sasha laughed. "And how could we be completely safe? Are you going to be here in your Iron Man suit the whole time? Not that I would precisely object to that."_

"_No…but I guess I could strut around in the suit for you, ya know, if that's what you'd like…" Tony paused to think for a moment, "Okay, from now on, you'll have full access to JARVIS and all of his systems and programming. You can assure yourself that the house and grounds are secure that way."_

"See?" Sasha giggled at Tony's gaping mouth as he heard the conversation.

"How…you recorded that! You…_brat_!" Tony was shocked. "JARVIS?"

"Sir, Miss Sasha may have gained access to parts of my systems yesterday when practicing the hacking skills you have been showing her." The A.I. almost sounded peevish.

"You _what_?" Tony's face was so shocked that even Pepper laughed.

"So who is Leason?" Pepper questioned. Sasha flinched at the mention of his name and her knuckles turned white as Tony gripped her hand supportively. Pepper eyed the pair warily wondering what had brought them together, and just why her boss was being so affectionate to the woman whom Pepper had thought was just another warm body in his bed.

"He's a bad guy. He's on every Most Wanted list there is. Including mine, Pep; get the conference set up, I'll call Rhodey. I'll take the Aston Martin." He turned back to Sasha and put his hand on her cheek softly, "I'm leaving you the Telsa and the Saleen in case you need to make a quick escape."

Sasha smiled and turned her head to kiss his palm. "Come right back after the conference?"

Tony assured Sasha that he would not go after Harris before coming back to his house with Rhodey. "He's probably going to start in on me, though, about the vacation." He warned.

"Why would he do that? Because most everyone around would be astonished that you've had the same woman in your home for more than a week and she isn't your assistant?" Sasha giggled, "I'll vouch that you did nearly make it two weeks without, though." She winked.

"Now, no need to go be that honest." Tony played along. Pepper had gasped at Sasha's inadvertent admission. "See, you'll just cause everyone to pass out in shock."

Once Tony was gone, Sasha e-mailed Amy and asked her when she would be able to take time off from work and come to California. She phrased Tony's offer of paying for the trip carefully, knowing how proud her friend could be. After sending the E-mail, JARVIS alerted her to the fact that the press conference had begun, so she turned her attention to the wall-mounted flat screen across from the bed.

Tony raised his hand to wave at the crowd, his smile as wide and playful as ever. He started speaking, joking with the reporters for a few moments before clearing his throat. "I—uh, well, there was a slight hiccup in a military fly-over maneuver yesterday, and we finally got to test out the cooperation between the military and I…I think it went okay, their opinion may differ." Tony laughed, as did the crowd of reporters hurriedly scribbling notes. "I want to stop any further rumors on some new attack, we are still enjoying the most peaceful time in…well, forever, thanks to me—haha. But seriously, the exercise yesterday went by flawlessly, and there is no reason to panic." A few minutes later, Tony escaped from the press still joking around with those he had known for years and ignoring the few women he had slept with along the way.

Sasha rolled her eyes at Tony's antics and returned her attention to the software she had pulled up on the computer, hoping to have a surprise ready by the time Tony returned home.

At Stark Industries, Tony met Rhodey after walking away from the reporters and shook his friend's hand, clapping him on the shoulder as well. "Friend, we are about to make your superiors _very_ happy."

"Since when do you make government officials happy?" Rhodey asked tiredly as he allowed Tony to lead him away from the building and toward his flashy sports car.

Tony shrugged and slid into the low seat behind the steering wheel. "I'm feeling generous." He said as Rhodey closed his door and fastened his seatbelt, knowing that Stark wouldn't care if he was secure in the vehicle before speeding off insanely. "I have someone you need to meet, and then a picture you will be _very_ interested in seeing."

"Cryptic as always." The Lieutenant Colonel rolled his eyes and couldn't help the smirk that graced his features. He really enjoyed his friend's style, even if it did cause him a ton of trouble and paperwork most of the time.

When the car pulled into it's designated spot in the garage and Tony had closed the door, Rhodey immediately sensed his friend's hesitation. "What is it, Stark? You've never been one to be shy…about anything."

"Rhodey…you'll never believe me." Tony admitted quietly as he studied his hands in his lap. Suddenly he jumped from the car and paced beside it as James slowly climbed from his seat, completely confused, and a bit afraid of what Tony had been caught up in this time.

After the second car door slam, Sasha jerked and looked across the garage. She hadn't realized that Tony had actually had someone in the car with him. "JARVIS?" She asked quietly.

"That would be Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodey." JARVIS replied, though not as quietly.

Rhodey searched the room quickly and saw the woman standing behind Tony's computers—of course it would be about a woman. "So this is it? Can you not get Pepper to handle this, or something this time?"

"Rhodes!" Tony admonished his friend harshly, causing James to quickly jerk back to Tony and really look at the other man. What he saw made him smile a bit, Tony was actually nervous! He immediately came up with a million and a half jokes that he hoped he could remember for later use.

"So the great Tony Stark has finally fallen hard, huh?" He laughed. Tony's sheepish grin and shrug as he jangled his keys in his pocket had Rhodey shaking his head as he continued to chuckle. "Took you long enough."

Sasha stopped in her tracks at Tony's best friend's words. She didn't know what kind of a reaction to expect from Tony, but it hadn't been the agreement it seemed to be. She debated retreating up to the guest room she had used the first night she had stayed in the mansion until she could work through the information overloading her head at the moment. She lost her chance when Tony suddenly wrapped his arm around her, having moved beside her when he saw her freeze. He squeezed her quickly to his side and smiled at her nervously, not having meant for his feelings to be laid out at her feet in quite the way they had been. She smiled back in the same fashion, having chosen to tell him with her eyes that she was as in deeply as he was where their feelings were concerned. The typical cocky attitude returned to Tony's features then, as he turned back to his friend.

"Rhodey, I'd like you to meet Sasha," Tony was happy when Sasha was able to shake James' hand and not flinch as she would have just days before, and he leaned down to kiss Sasha quickly.

Rhodey cleared his throat, reminding Tony of his presence. "So…this picture you had to show me?" He asked.

"Right," Tony took a moment to catch his breath, having kissed Sasha for longer than he had intended. He smiled at the blush that flushed her neck and cheeks at his affections. "JARVIS, pull up the security footage from the club the other night, focus in on our subject." Tony gestured Rhodes over to his computer and made sure that Sasha was distracted by anything other than what he and James were looking at. She seemed intent on whatever she had been working on, adamantly focused on her task and avoiding even thinking of Leason's face as it was pulled up in front of Tony.

"So who's this?" James turned questioningly to Tony, spinning his chair and taking notice of Sasha's reaction to the situation. Tony tapped a few buttons on his holographic key board and Harris Leason's name popped up on the screen beside his face. "Holy…Are you sure?!" The Lieutenant Colonel about fell out of the comfortable office chair he sat in. He sat in complete disbelief as Tony assured him of the man's identity. He started to ask just how Tony could be so sure when Sasha's pale face and trembling hands as she focused intently on anything other than the men's computer screen filled the blanks in for him. He swore under his breath and Tony clapped his shoulder in silent agreement.

"So where is he now?" Rhodey asked a few moments later, keeping his voice pitched low so as not to intentionally bring the surely painful memories back for Sasha.

"I don't know. That's why I need War Hammer's help." Tony pecked a few more keys and the missing person's report from that morning came up on another screen. He nodded to the picture and Rhodes' gut clenched in icy fear.

"Let's suit up." He had become fond of the War Hammer suit after fighting alongside Tony against Vanko, yet he had never planned on donning it again. The situation at hand had wiped his mind clear of anything but the need to take Harris Leason down.

Tony nodded and opened his mouth to speak to JARVIS when Sasha spoke up instead. "Go upstairs and let's eat first. Both of you having hot heads out there won't do anyone any favors." She sighed, glancing at the screens in front of the men finally. "I thought you could keep Tony in line, but I guess not." She began walking to the stairs and the men fell in step behind her, sharing a glance. They knew that they were both on the same page with what they _wanted_ to do, as well as with what they knew they _should_ do. Rhodey shook his head as he followed Tony up the stairs, wondering how Sasha had met up with Tony and what all she knew about Leason.

Pepper and Happy joined the group for lunch, everyone raving over the delicious Greek stew that Sasha had made. Slowly, after everyone had eaten and they were all lounging in the living room, Tony and Sasha explained exactly how they had met, and Sasha had allowed Tony to tell the others how Harris had taken her prisoner and planned to auction her off, leaving out only the one detail of her innocence being what was so coveted by the creep. Pepper made sympathetic noises as Happy and Rhodey both growled and clenched their fists. Tony had gripped Sasha's hand in one of his and had strangled a pillow with the other; he still shook with anger whenever he thought of the criminal and itched to tear him to shreds. Happy asked if he could take a suit out with the other men, the anger in his eyes was oddly comforting to Sasha, who smiled half heartedly at the older man.

"Look," Sasha began, "I appreciate how all of you want to handle this situation, but I think that it'd be best if he were just taken into police custody and thrown in a jail to be forgotten."

An hour later, Rhodey, in the War Hammer suit and Tony in the Mark VII were flying across the desert and arguing over the best ways to torture Leason without leaving too many obvious marks on his body before they turned him over to the proper authorities.

"Thanks for this, Rhodey." Tony said suddenly.

"Hey, no need, man. I'm happy to help out…I'll put out some feelers with my more trust-worthy informants and see if there are any bites." He offered.

"Sir," JARVIS' voice rang through both the Iron Man and War Hammer suit helmets. "There seems to be another missile locked on to the Mark VII."

"Of course there is…Damn it!" Tony glanced back to see a large silver bullet-like missile heading toward he and Rhodey. "Looks like we're going to have some fun on this outing after all!" He joked to his friend.

"I'll head back and follow the missile's signal to the launch site, see if I can catch anyone this time." Rhodey offered, his voice then taking on a sarcastic note, "Unless you really need me to help you with the little explosive."

"Get out of here, Rhodes. This is my party!" Tony joked along with his friend.

Just after the War Hammer suit was out of sight, Tony stopped his forward trajectory and rose up quickly to allow the missile to fly beneath him. He grabbed onto the projectile explosive and again ripped through the shell to find the hidden key pad. Punching in the code JARVIS had decrypted, Tony was suddenly blown twenty yards back by a sudden Electro Magnetic Pulse. His suit went dead just as he made contact with the ground.


	5. Mark V Revamp

**Sorry this chapter took so long, but I hope the content makes up for the delay. Again, I don't own anything but Sasha, Boo for me.**

Tony looked about wildly inside of his dead suit armor. He knew he had designed his suit properly, made it able to withstand any EMP blast. He had upgraded his suit nearly every time he fought with a new enemy. He called out to JARVIS and felt his heart rate speed up when there was no response from his beloved A.I. Unable to see the outside world, Tony took his time to catalogue each of his injuries and found that while he had insulated his suit very well, the impact of hitting the ground had shaken him and caused some severe bruising to his left hip and shoulder which had taken the brunt of his dead weight when he hit the ground. He coughed a bit and realized that he had blood in his mouth. He wished that his filtration system was working so he could just spit it into the suit.

A moment later, Tony realized that someone was next to him outside of his suit, and they were hauling him somewhere. His first thoughts flashed to the ribbing he was sure he would get from Rhodey for having been found this way. His second thought was that Rhodey would have been yelling at him and he would at least hear something from his friend. He closed his eyes and sighed, wondering who this new enemy was and where they were taking him. He faintly heard metal being dragged across metal and figured his suit had been loaded onto something to carry him off. He wished he had said something more to Sasha, told her how he felt. He wished he had teased Pepper a bit more, or had at least set up what he was sure had been his all-time largest prank against the unwitting female when he had come up with it the week before. Rhodes was going to curse and stomp around like a child in a temper tantrum when he realized that they had been duped; he wished he could have been around to see that, at least.

James Rhodes landed hard on one foot and one knee beside the missile launcher, which was again deserted. He scanned the area, noting a few tire-tracks and using the camera capabilities in his War Machine suit he took pictures of them before the dry air blew the dirt to cover them completely. He shook his head and stomped around, looking for any other clues when he found a control panel hidden within the large black contraption. Ripping the panel off, he quickly realized that while Tony would be in geek-heaven unraveling the mysteries of what lay beneath, he was completely inept when it came to technology such as he was looking at. Sighing and trying to mentally prepare himself for the childish taunting Tony would give him about it, Rhodey placed his hands on his hips and chuckled silently.

"Tony…hey, Tony!" James' tone changed when he realized that Tony was not responding, and the silence within his suit became ominous. "Oh, God…JARVIS?" Rhodey never felt a hundred percent comfortable speaking with Tony's super-computer, but he didn't think twice about calling out to it when he realized his friend could be in real danger. There was no response from JARVIS. The silence became nearly unbearable. Stomping his foot to activate his thrusters, Rhodey took to the air and flew break-neck speed back to where he had last seen the Iron Man. His targeting systems were not working, and he couldn't track the other suit's location, he became worried that he would lose complete power in his suit. Remembering the intricacies of his suit and the recent upgrades that Tony had boasted about, Rhodey clenched his left fist three times and was immediately relieved when he heard a ringing in his helmet.

"Hello?" Sasha's voice was hesitant as she answered the call from Tony's best friend, unsure of why he would be calling her on the phone and not just talking over JARVIS' connection with the suit.

"Sasha, tell me Tony is just being his usual asinine self and messing with me." He practically begged.

"What do you mean? You two flew out of here together…I thought he was talking about some military stuff with you that he didn't want me to hear…he cut off my communication link about twenty minutes ago!" Sasha was starting to internally panic, but forced her voice to stay calm and focused on her breathing. It helped, until the Lieutenant Colonel spoke again.

"Sasha…Tony and I split up because there was another missile…he's not here…I can't contact him, and JARVIS isn't even in my suit's system either."

"JARVIS?!" Sasha and Rhodey both exclaimed.

"M-my s-s-syst-tem i-is being cor-ru-rupt-rupted." JARVIS' voice stuttered with electrical interference.

Sasha froze for a half second before she launched into over-active mode. She automatically turned to the computers and turned off all communications with the outside world, apologizing hastily to James and assuring him that she would be off line for a maximum of five minutes. After severing all external ties, the JARVIS system was able to reboot. She began running the program Tony had shown her to search for intruding hacker servers. She didn't notice the one-lined code embedded in JARVIS' programming until her third run through it. Deleting the line after writing it down carefully, Sasha wrote an extra line of code that would automatically alert her to any intrusion by the specific coder she had seen. She reconnected to Rhodey, unsure about attempting to reboot JARVIS to his suit.

"Are you there?" She asked, trepidation coating her words.

"Yeah, I've searched everywhere, but the wind has covered any traces of tracks in the dirt except for a few deep indentions from the Iron Man suit…at least that's what I'm assuming made these dents."

"Alright, well, I have no idea if I should try to reengage the suit's systems or not…I don't want it to be compromised again."

"If they already did this once, we should expect that they can do it again." Rhodey sighed, placing his hands on his hips thinking through multiple scenarios. The worst-cases beat out the best, though, no matter how many ways he turned the problem. "It's just too risky…I just wish there were a way to track him down without booting him back up."

Sasha jumped up and ran to slap her hand against the bullet-proof Plexiglas that encased the Mark V. "Rhodey…I kind of messed with Tony's systems the other day…but I think it may have just saved his life!"

"I am not even going to ask…just do whatever you can to find him!" Rhodey took to the air again, heading back to Stark's mansion.

"The Mark V is online, Miss Sasha." JARVIS stated, his robotic voice sounding almost hopeful.

"Good." Sasha typed a few commands into the computer and watched as the Mark V suit began to hover in place. Just as Rhodey dropped into the garage-lab, the red and silver suit blew past him like a rocket. "Follow that suit, and make sure Tony gets into it!" Sasha commanded, hardly looking at Rhodey as she typed more commands into the computer.

Rhodey didn't ask any questions, simply followed the other suit as it sailed across the open desert.

Tony felt his heart-rate increase, the pressure in his ears becoming a steady thrum. His shoulder where the suit armor was bolted together was becoming painfully hot. He could hear sparks and occasionally a few brief words. He had learned enough to know that his captors did not want him to hear them, and that they knew exactly what they were after, even if he didn't. Heat began creeping through the titanium alloy at his neck on the left, and with the burning sensations on either side, he could hardly hold back a scream. He had decided that playing unconscious was his best bet, thinking he may be given answers unwittingly. But the pain from the fire they were using on his suit was getting to be too much.

He had heard the men, when they would speak, using military-terms and speaking with light accents. He tried to focus on the speech patterns to pinpoint which country the men had come from. He ruled out the Middle East and Asia quickly enough. They weren't Latin, either. Not French. Nor were they English. They spoke almost over-pronouncing the vowels and had an underling musical lilt. He suddenly had a mental image from an old black-and-white movie, placing the accent and rolling his eyes at the mental image he now had of his captors. It almost made him laugh. But then the heat on his neck increased.

Tony writhed as much as he could without moving the suit and tried to concentrate on the snarky comments and arguments he was planning on having with his best friend when—and he refused to even think the word if—he would get back to his lab and see Rhodey. Suddenly the sound of the sparks stopped and he could hear men calling to whoever was working on his suit. He was able to make out a few words, not sure what to think of the bullet-like missile they were apparently tracking. And then he heard the words that had him resting his head back and thanking any deity that was out there, 'Silver Iron-Man'.

Tony nearly shrieked when he felt sudden and incredible pressure over his arc reactor. He coughed and sputtered inside his suit, and felt the quick and intense pain over his chest again, this time hearing metal connecting with the suit. Someone was trying to break his arc reactor, and whatever they were using just might be able to crush through the protective plating of the armor. The dead-weight of the suit was incredibly heavy, but Tony forced himself to roll out from under the crushing pressure, just to find that he had apparently been restrained to the table he was laying on and was unable to escape the next blow.

He heard a crash and several screams. Then he heard a very familiar crash as Rhodey crashed down beside the spot he was contained to in the War Machine suit. He heard the breath hiss from the other man's lungs and felt sharp tugging on his arm, he figured Rhodey was trying to rip the restraints from his suit. Then he heard laughter from one of the men that had been working on his suit.

"There is no escaping, now. I must say, I think I prefer the silver to the red, though." The smirk could be heard in the man's voice. "Too bad we'll be dismantling you as well."

Tony raged inside as he heard Rhodey hiss again, in pain. He could hear the other man being restrained, and wondered how the men had been able to over-ride both suits so easily. Rhodey's laughter confused him until he heard the unmistakable sound of miniature rockets pelting each of the captors and the surrounding building, or whatever had been left of it once Rhodey had crashed in.

Suddenly, Tony felt the pressure on his arms, which he hadn't realized was there, release. He was free. He stood and tried to use his ears to find his fallen friend. He heard James' voice faintly, and strained to hear the words he seemed to be repeating. When he finally understood, he hesitated for only a moment before ripping the helmet off of his head and hitting the couple of hidden releases that removed the several sections of his Mark VI armor. Once out of the cumbersome, dead, suit he realized why his friend had been so adamant that he take off his protective covering. The room was empty, but he hardly noticed, for floating in front of him was his Mark V armor, folded into the carrying case.

"That's new." Tony quipped dryly. He watched as it dropped down at his feet and then proceeded to kick the lever downward to begin the process of unfolding the suit. He reveled in his own cocky pride as the red and silver armor encased his body and he was able to take out the small arsenal that swarmed into the room. Tony realized that JARVIS was not loaded into the suit any longer, but he still had voice commands available to him. He did not bother to dwell on the odd events and rather grabbed for the slim computer he had heard the men typing on, placed it inside of his Mark VI armor he planned to haul back home, then gripped onto Rhodey's War Machine suit to fly them both to safety.

Once they were about fifty miles from the building Tony had been held in, Rhodey's suit came back online and he was able to fly beside his friend freely. JARVIS' system began loading in the Mark V and Tony spoke out, knowing his voice would carry easily to his garage. "Sasha. Mess with another one of my suits and I will have to get angry."

"You're welcome." Sasha stated, a bit smugly, she leaned back in the comfortable office chair in front of Tony's computer as she watched another program loading into one of Tony's files.


	6. Stane Returns

**Sorry for the late update…pneumonia kicked my butt to bed for two weeks. So this one is a little bit of a cliff-hanger…hope you enjoy it! Oh, and THANK YOU to everyone who has commented, favorited, or followed this story! Lots of Love! Oh, and usual disclaimer entered here!**

There was a soft _thud_ as Tony and Rhodey landed in the garage and the suits were quickly removed. Sasha stared in awe as the robotic arms removed the Iron Man and War Machine suits piece by piece; she knew Tony had caught her staring when she looked to his face and found his trademark smirk in place. She rolled her eyes and swiveled in the chair to face the computers again, seemingly unimpressed by the display. Tony stepped from the platform once he was free from the titanium alloy and sauntered over to Sasha. He leaned over with one hand on the back of the chair, and the other on the computer desk beside the keyboard.

"So," He whispered in a steamy voice. "What other surprises do you have up your sleeve? Or should I just take your shirt off now and find out?" Tony snorted when he noticed the red tint to Sasha's cheeks and ears as she flushed at the suggestive comment.

"Okay," Rhodey's loud voice broke the tension and Sasha sighed in relief. "Who exactly were those guys?"

"I'm not entirely sure, yet." Tony remarked, not moving more than to throw a quick glance over his shoulder at his old friend. "But they're Romanian…or is it Transylvanian? I'm not sure…I just know that I got the funniest image of Dracula trying to get into my suit when I heard their voices."

"Only you, Tony," Rhodey stated, "would find humor when in a situation that would likely end in your own demise."

It was Sasha's turn to snort at the banter, as she hit a few more keys on the holographic keyboard. "Let's see what facial recognition says when I run the images from the Mark V armor's cameras through the system."

"How do you have access to facial recognition software?" Rhodey asked, shocked.

"What camera?" Tony asked at the same moment, spinning Sasha's chair around so that she was facing him and his hands were on either arm of the chair.

"I had JARVIS rig a camera set to a five second timer set in the Mark V armor so that we could get an idea at who was holding you captive. I mean," Sasha looked away from Tony's eyes for only a moment before returning her gaze to his and continuing. "I figured that JARVIS was already compromised and they had a really good system that would shut him down, so I uninstalled him from the MARK V…so the camera was there to get the evidence needed that he would normally catalogue."

"Nicely done, Sash." Tony grinned a bit, enjoying how intelligent the young woman was turning out to be.

"Thanks." She blushed and tried to turn the chair away, but Tony held her still.

He spoke over his shoulder to Rhodey. "I uploaded the facial recognition software when I first became the Iron Man. It just seemed like something I would need access to one day." He turned his full attention back to the petite woman in front of him. "So how did you think all this up?"

"I…" Sasha blushed even more crimson and looked down to study her nails in her lap. "I just sat back and made myself look at the situation as if it were in a book I was writing. When you're living a situation, you tend to miss the most important small details because at the time they seem insignificant. So I just…stepped out of the situation and ran through a few plots in my head…" She shrugged, and finally had to look up when she felt that Tony had been too quiet for too long. She found him grinning at her, his brown eyes sparkling with delight.

Rhodey chuckled to himself as he went into the main house. He figured the other two would rather have a few moments, and he knew they had likely already forgotten his presence anyway.

"You really are one of a kind, you know that?" Tony breathed, leaning in the last scant inch to kiss Sasha full on the lips, happy to find her arms encircling his neck as she kissed him back. He lifted her from the chair and pulled her legs up so they wound around his waist. As he continued to kiss her, Tony walked them over to his row of cars, laying Sasha back over the hood of his silver Aston Martin. He figured it was time to live out one of his fantasies and found Sasha to be a more than willing partner as she yanked his shirt from his body.

Sasha had changed into one of Tony's more expensive silk button-downs and he felt little remorse as he ripped the shirt open and the buttons scattered across the floor. He opened the front clasp of her bra—silently thanking the man who had invented the front-closure—and began to massage Sasha's left breast, his mouth attacking the right. Sasha moaned as she fumbled with Tony's pant's button. She felt the button finally release and used her legs to remove the offending material. Tony paused his ministrations to quickly look up and stare at Sasha.

"Someone's in a hurry." He smirked and returned to her chest as she shoved her own jeans down her hips and off her legs. Tony rose up and took over, shoving his boxers and her panties to the floor before ruthlessly shoving into Sasha. She moaned and moved with Tony, their pace erratic in their need to be connected with one another. Finally they found a good rhythm and when Tony felt Sasha's inner walls clenching rhythmically, he pushed into her a few more times before coming with her, his grunt and her moans muted by their passionate kiss.

"Damn." Tony reached for his shirt that sat on the roof of the car and used it to wipe away the sweat from his brow. "You really know how to welcome a guy home."

"I do what I can." Sasha quipped with a shrug, causing them both to laugh quietly.

"You realize we nearly gave Rhodey the show of a lifetime here, right?"

Sasha's face flushed crimson as she scrunched her eyes closed. "God, tell me he left before we made it to the car!"

"He did." Tony smiled lovingly at Sasha, and when she opened her eyes, she found him simply staring at her.

"What?" She was becoming very self-conscious. She had body-issues, and often felt out of her depths with the genius billionaire, his staring caused butterflies to fill her stomach.

Tony shook his head slightly. "Nothing…it's nothing." He smirked and lifted the petite woman off of the hood of his sports car and grinned sheepishly at the tattered remains of his shirt she still wore. Sasha laughed, self-deprecatingly, and after fastening her bra, tied the shirt tail together, thankful for the shirt's larger size so that the unbuttoned top still folded together to cover her. She pulled her jeans and underwear on as she watched Tony slip back into his slacks, throwing his shirt over his shoulder. She nearly complained about the thoughts his state of undress would give to Rhodey, then remembered with a slight blush that he probably already knew what the pair had been up to.

Tony strutted across his living room and up the stairs while Sasha quickly trotted up to the bedroom with her eyes glued to the carpet. Rhodey laughed to himself, shaking his head at Tony. "You know she's not your usual type, Tony, you could try being nice."

"Oh, I'm more than just _nice_ to her." Tony waggled his eyebrows suggestively and returned to ignoring his friend and following Sasha into his bedroom.

"So," Tony started as he waltzed into his room. "Are you going to tell me what other surprises you have concocted…or am I just going to stumble upon each one?"

"I don't…there's not really anything else I've done." Sasha had exchanged the ruined shirt for a new blue pull-over as she turned to face Tony. "The armor's tracking-capabilities is all I came up with over the past couple of days. I just didn't expect to need to use it."

"Well, I know my next suit design will be using that little bit of technology." Tony shrugged into a new shirt as well.

Suddenly JARVIS announced, "Sir, the facial recognition came back with several matches…and one is of definite interest…his name is Malik Stane…his father is listed as Obidiah Stane."

Tony cursed.


End file.
